


Christmas Gift

by KinkyGrrlDiane (AnneTaylor)



Series: Drunken Rat Series [3]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:34:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21951475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneTaylor/pseuds/KinkyGrrlDiane
Summary: Just a little Christmas interlude, following on the heels of No Greater Gift. The boys are settling down into their new household arrangements. Things aren't exactly a model of domestic bliss. But Alex gives Walter an unexpected Christmas gift and suddenly everything changes for them.
Relationships: Alex Krycek/Walter Skinner
Series: Drunken Rat Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1579666
Kudos: 7





	Christmas Gift

What’s this?” Alex Krycek asked suspiciously, peering under the tree.

“Haven’t you ever gotten a Christmas present before?” Mulder ripped off a couple of pieces of tape and secured the brightly colored paper around his irregularly shaped package. He leaned forward and slid the box under the tree.

“Yeah. I’ve gotten lots of them. They usually involve extra work, or some kind of medical procedure.”

“Well…unless it’s from Scully I doubt it has anything to do with a medical procedure.”

“How am I supposed to know who it’s from? There’s no card,” Krycek grumbled, spinning the gaily wrapped cylinder on the tip of his finger.

“Hey, be careful with that,” Mulder said sharply, snatching it away from him and replacing it under the tree. “Scully’s going to be pissed if you break it.”

“So it is from Dana. Great. It’s probably more maternity supplements.”

“I don’t know who it’s from, but Scully’ll be pissed if you break it. You know how important it is to her that nothing messes up our first Christmas.”

“What’s the big deal?” Krycek flopped down into the easy chair in the center of the living room. “The kids aren’t even here yet,” He stared glumly down at his widening belly. “It’s just like every other Christmas. Aside from the fact that I’m involved.”

“That makes all the difference,” Scully told him firmly. “Here. Drink this.”

“Not more milk,” Krycek groaned. “God…what I wouldn’t give for a beer right now.”

“Don’t even think it.” Scully glared at him. “Drink.”

Krycek gave her a rebellious look, but he took the milk. “The least you could do is put chocolate in it,” he complained. He tipped up the glass and drained it. “So, what’s in the box with all the blue bunnies?”

“That’s for the babies.” Scully whisked the glass away before Krycek could drop in on the polished mahogany of her mother’s end table. With an exasperated glare at both Mulder and Krycek, she picked up the table cover and replaced it on the table.

“How the hell are they supposed to open it?” Krycek said in an offended tone.

“You can open it for them. My mother sent presents as well.”

“You told your mother?!” Krycek yelped.

“Scully, this may not be the best time to drop that one,” Mulder warned her.

“She knows that I’m going to be adopting twins. I didn’t tell her anything more than that,” Scully said firmly. “She deserves to know that she’s going to be a grandmother. That’s how I talked her into staying in Florida so we could have Christmas here. I told her that the expectant mother is very shy. She understands, and she respects that.”

“Yeah. Did you know that she left a message saying that she just bought a new video camera. She was hinting that she wants to be invited to the birth.”

“She just asked that we record the birth. She wasn’t…”

“Dana…” Krycek said in a choked voice “I can’t breathe.”

Scully hurriedly knelt beside his chair, pulled the stethoscope out of her pocket. She slipped the ends into her ears, pulled Krycek’s shirt up and pressed the bell against his chest. “Your heart is pounding pretty hard, Alex. I think you’re having another panic attack.”

“No. Fucking. Kidding.” Krycek gasped. His fingers dug into the armrest.

“Just try to relax. Listen to the sound of my voice. Mulder, turn on some music.”

“I’ve got a better idea. Here…shove over, Krycek.” Mulder wedged himself into the chair beside Krycek, who batted at him ineffectually. “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer…” Mulder warbled.

“What the…hell are you doing…you moron…” Krycek scowled at him but made no attempt to get up or push Mulder away.

Scully pursed her lips disapprovingly. “Be careful. Give him room, Mulder.”

“Aww, he’s fine,”drawled Mulder. “We’re both skinny guys. Now, if Walter were here too…now…that would be crowded.”

“You’re not all that skinny,” Krycek grunted.

“Sympathetic weight gain.” Mulder poked him in the ribs. “Got a bit more padding here. You don’t feel quite so bony any more.”

“Huh. I don’t recall you having any complaints.” Krycek’s mouth snapped shut and he shot a guilty look in Scully’s direction.

“It’s okay, Alex. I’m…adjusting,” Scully sighed. “We’re all going to be doing a lot of adjusting to make this thing work. Better to work out the easy stuff now.”

“Hey…I’m not easy,” Mulder complained.

“The hell you’re not,” Krycek muttered. “You weren’t even drunk. At least I had an excuse.”

“I’m not easy. I’m an opportunist. There’s a difference,” Mulder told him. “Besides…I was just pumping you for information.”

“Pumping is right,” Scully muttered, sotto voice. “Is it getting better, Alex?”

“Yeah. It helps when…when someone’s touching me,” Krycek admitted. “You’re an asshole, Mulder. You know that, right?”

“You say the sweetest things. Hey, Sculls, what’s for dinner?”

“I don’t know,” Scully told him sweetly. “What are you cooking?”

“Oh, no…no more macaroni and cheese,” Krycek moaned. “Just kill me now. That stuff can’t be good for the babies. Right? Dana? Don’t make the kids eat any more of Mulder’s cooking,” he pleaded, giving Scully an eyeful of quivering lip and soulful eyes.

“Oh, stop that,” she told him. She fished her cell phone out of her pocket, and pressed two numbers.

“Hey…I make good mac and cheese,” Mulder pouted.

“Sure. It was good…the first time. Maybe even the second,” Krycek told him.

“Walter…have you left the office yet? Good. Listen, we don’t have anything worth eating in the house and I was wondering if you could bring something…yes…that would be great.”

“I want Thai,” Krycek sat up a little straighter in the chair. “Masaman Curry. Extra spicy. Chicken.”

“I vote for Chinese.”

“You’re outvoted, Mulder.” Krycek smirked at him. “Three to one.”

“Very funny,” Mulder grumbled. “That spicy shit can’t be good for the babies,” he pointed out. “You should make him eat extra mild.”

“Pipe down, you two. I’m on the phone. Get whatever you want, Walter. Surprise us.”

“I don’t like surprises.” Krycek rose from the chair and padded over to the window to yank the curtains shut. “Can we have a little more healthy paranoia here? You guys are getting careless.”

“What’s the worry? Your buddy Trafalgar has the smoker choking on his own fumes, right? Who else would want to shoot you?”

“Off-hand, I can think of half a dozen with the balls and the resources. And lots more who wish they had. And that’s not even counting all the people who you’ve pissed off, Mulder.”

“Me? I’m an extremely popular guy.”

“Considering how often you end up getting kidnapped, that’s a true statement. Krycek began to pace back and forth across the thick purple and red oriental rug that covered the floor of Mrs. Scully’s home. “We need a security system. ADT, unless you’re planning on getting a pet. Dana, I need some paper.”

“I don’t know where Mom keeps her office supplies, and I don’t want to be snooping. I could call Walter and ask him to stop by a convenience store and get one.”

“No…I need it now. I have to plan this out. Dana, you don’t have a floor plan for this place, do you?” Krycek started searching through drawers, moving books around on shelves. He caught Mulder exchanging a meaningful look with Scully and he snarled “Fuck you, Mulder. Maybe you get off on waking up at midnight with someone standing over you with a gun, but I don’t. The worst they’re going to do to you is wipe out a day or two out of your brain.”

“Alex, it’s almost seven. Do you want to watch CSI tonight?” Dana asked, casually. “I think Lady Heather is in this one.”

Mulder whistled. “She’s hot. Hey, I thought she was out of the picture. Isn’t Grissom with the chick with the gap in her teeth?”

“You’re a few episodes behind,” Krycek told him, then scowled. “Stop trying to distract me. I know what you’re doing. ‘Poor little Alex, having hormonal imbalances again’. Let’s distract him with TV. What’s next? Ice cream? Chocolate?”

“I have a box of dark chocolate truffles,” Mulder told him blandly. “Just bought them yesterday. Unopened. Want to pop the box’s cherry, Alex?”

Krycek rounded on Mulder, obviously intending to deliver a blistering reply, then he froze. His adam’s apple rose and fell. “Shit,” he said quietly. He turned his face to the wall, leaning his forehead against the pale surface, using his single arm as a prop. “Shit.”

Mulder left the room and returned a moment later with a box of chocolates. He peeled the cellophane wrapper off, removed the lid and extracted a piece of chocolate.

“Fuck this.” Krycek’s voice was muffled.

“Do what you have to, to get through this, Alex. I know I’m a shit for saying this but I’m glad it was you and not me.” Mulder laid his hand across Krycek’s neck and began to massage it with his thumb. “Thank you.”

“You probably would have handled it better. You always did like weird shit.”

“Maybe,” Mulder said doubtfully. “But I’m glad to be here with you right now. We made a good team, once.”

“That was a million years ago, Mulder.” Krycek straightened. He plucked the chocolate from Mulder’s fingers and popped it into his mouth. After a moment, his eyes closed in bliss. “And all the world’s woes disappear, if only for as long as it takes for chocolate to melt.”

Mulder put a chocolate in his own mouth and positioned himself behind Krycek. “We’re all in this together. Let us help, Alex. You have to do most of it yourself, I know, but you have the right to ask us to take some of the burden off you.” He slipped his arm across Krycek’s chest and coaxed him into leaning back, letting Mulder massage his chest muscles. “You’re the most important person in the world right now, and we aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”

“Easy to say, Mulder. But you don’t have any more control over what happens to me than I do,” Krycek pointed out bitterly. “We’re all safe only as long as Trafalgar’s happy. Speaking of…how are the mind-fuck lessons going?”

“Not as well as I’d like. He keeps teaching me stare-at-your-navel stuff that he says is all ‘foundation’ for the rest. I feel like the Karate Kid doing wax-on wax-off.”

“Maybe it’s all just bull-shit, then.” Krycek’s body, which had begun to relax under Mulder’s ministrations, grew tense again.

“No. I think I’m just being impatient,” said Mulder soothingly, “I can feel them, Alex.” Mulder’s hands slipped lower, caressing Kycek’s belly. “I can feel them, starting to reach out, to make sense of the world. Already. Lelon tries to hide it but I think it even scares him a little. Their potential is enormous. I’m starting to be able to tell them apart.” Mulder grinned suddenly. “I think I know which one is mine. We should give them names. I want to be ready for them when they start asking who they are.”

“Let’s talk about it over dinner tonight,” Scully suggested eagerly. “I have some names…”

“We’ve got two babies and four people. Assuming two names per baby, everyone gets to toss one name into the mix,” Mulder pointed out.

“I want veto power on Mulder’s names,” Krycek snorted.

“Now, that’s hardly fair,” Mulder objected. “If anyone’s going to try and give their kid a weird name it wouldn’t be me. Having experienced first-hand the trauma that causes.”

“One of them has to be named William Bernard Scully III,” said Scully firmly. “Bill’s wife Tara hates the idea. She says calling someone “the Third” is pretentious.” Her eyes flashed with anger.

“You’re going to have to negotiate with Skinner over that,” Mulder told her smugly. “Mine’s a girl.”

“Mulder…are you sure..?” Scully’s eyes widened. “How do you…”

“Negotiate with me over what?” A gruff voice came from the back door. There was a bang as the door slammed shut. “Sorry. My arms are full. Let’s eat this before it gets cold. The smell has been driving me nuts.” Skinner stepped out of the kitchen. “Mulder…I really hope that’s not what it looks like.”

Krycek stiffened and tried to pull away, but Mulder tightened his hold. “What does it look like?” he asked innocently.

“It looks like Alex is trying to get away and you’re not letting him.” Skinner loomed over both of them, a severe look on his face.

“He’s just afraid you’ll jump to conclusions,” Mulder returned, a challenging gleam in his eye.

“Will you two stop talking about me like I’m not here?” Krycek snarled. He shook Mulder’s hands off and stalked past Skinner, into the kitchen.

“He’s been having panic attacks, Walter.” Scully touched Skinner’s arm. “Having Mulder touch him seems to help.”

Skinner let his breath out in a long exhalation. “Sorry. I wasn’t serious.”

“I think you were more serious than you know,” Mulder commented. “Just one more thing we need to talk about, Walter.”

“All right. You want to talk?” Walter folded his arms over his chest. “With or without Dana present?”

“I’m going to make sure Alex is okay,” Scully murmured. “I’d suggest you consult with him before you start making decisions that are going to affect his personal life.” With that she turned and walked into the kitchen.

Skinner watched her leave, then turned back to Mulder. “Well? Start talking, Mulder.”

“You’re being a little defensive, Walter. Not to mention possessive.”

“I don’t like the feeling that you’re trying to do an end run around me. We agreed that we need to take turns guarding Alex. I need to know if I can trust you, Mulder.”

“What can I do to convince you of my good intentions?” Mulder spread his hands.

“Well, let’s start with what your intentions are.”

“Fair enough. Alex is attractive, in a forbidden fruit kind of way, and I wouldn’t throw him out if he turned up in my bed, but I have no intention of deliberately poaching.”

“So if I come home one night and find you and Alex fucking, I’m supposed to blame Alex, right?”

“That isn’t going to happen unless you keep making it clear to Alex that you don’t trust him.”

“It isn’t him that I don’t trust.”

“Bullshit, Walter. If you trusted Alex you wouldn’t have to worry about me.”

Skinner’s lips pressed together in a thin line.

“Besides…I don’t think you’re even addressing the real problem,” Mulder said reasonably. “The problem is that you haven’t been able to get Alex to commit to the kind of relationship that you want. Am I right? Think about it before you answer.”

“Yes,” Skinner admitted finally. “You’re right.”

“He’s a slippery little bastard,” Mulder remarked. “Not surprising, considering what he’s been through.” He continued, more gently. “Give him time, Walter. He just needs time…he needs to learn how to trust.”

“You’re probably right, Mulder.” Skinner’s rigid posture began to relax. “I’m just afraid that…that he’ll take it into his head that he’s a danger to us, or we’re a danger to him.”

“You’re afraid he’ll run.”

Skinner nodded.

“That’s a valid concern. Especially right now. He’s not making his decisions based on reason or logic…not while his…not while he’s suffering from all the chemical and hormonal imbalances that he is. He swings between wild paranoia and catatonic withdrawal at least twice a day, Scully says. She’d be treating him with an antidepressant if he wasn’t pregnant.”

“What can we do?”

“Watch him. Try to make him feel safe. I think we do need a good security system, but I’d hate to spend the time and money on a place we won’t be in much longer.”

“Trafalger’s working on that. He’s got his eye on a place up north…he says it’s isolated enough that security won’t be as much of a problem as it might be in the city.”

“How soon can we move in?”

“Whoa…we haven’t even looked at the place yet.”

“If it’s the place Lelon was talking about it sounds perfect. Twenty acres with a stream, house almost five thousand square feet and a three car garage. 900 square foot workshop with a bathroom and a loft.”

Skinner gave a low whistle. “Sounds like a hell of a place. I had no idea…are you sure he wasn’t talking about Trafalger’s house?”

“Not unless we’re going to be moving in with him. Lelon said the shop would be a good place for lessons once the kids are older.”

“What kind of lessons?”

“Hell…Walter…” Mulder grinned, his hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things he’s been hinting at. Telepathy…telekinesis. Healing. Even teleportation.”

“Hey…are you two done divvying up my ass yet?” Alex sauntered out of the kitchen, sucking on an ice cream bar.

“Eww,” said Mulder. “That’s a really gross image. Especially when you bring it up while eating.” He gave Skinner a sly look. “Not everything is about your ass, you know, Alex.”

Skinner cleared his throat. “I was just telling Mulder that Trafalger has found us a place.”

“Where? What’s the acreage?”

“Twenty, but it backs onto Rock Creek Park. About an hour’s drive north of D.C.” Mulder grabbed Krycek’s arm and wrestled it down so he could take a bite of ice cream.

“We don’t know the acreage for certain…” Skinner objected.

“I’m sure, Walter. It’s got to be the same place.”

“That’s a lot of ground to monitor,” Alex deep throated his ice cream and pulled it back out, slowly.

Skinner shifted uncomfortably. “He’s going to take us there tomorrow.”

“When? I thought you had a shitload of meetings tomorrow,” Krycek gave Skinner a sideways look. His pink tongue caressed the ice cream.

Skinner grimaced. “The Director gave me the day off. Alex…knock it off. At least until after dinner.”

“Knock what off?” Krycek asked innocently.

“Why did the Director give you the day off?” Mulder asked.

“He didn’t say. I assume it was just Trafalger making a fairly unsubtle point.”

“Subtlety is overrated,” Krycek remarked. “Give me superior firepower any day.”

“Or voltage,” Mulder offered.

“I’m going to eat.” Skinner headed for the kitchen.

“You’re going to love this place,” Mulder predicted.

“Huh? Why?” Krycek’s eyes followed Skinner as he disappeared into the kitchen.

“You’ll see,” Mulder said mysteriously. “Wait til tomorrow.”

A gust of wind whipped through the ancient grove of oak and maple trees, sending a shower of residual rain down onto their heads. Five spumes of breath ghosted out beneath the bare, overhanging branches.

Scully pulled her coat more closely about her and stared up at the interlaced pattern, heavy with moss and the occasional withered leaf. “It’s beautiful. These trees must be hundreds of years old.”

Sunlight marbled the ground in large patches. Scully, Mulder, Skinner and Krycek trailed Lelon as he wove his way between the trees, tracing a path barely visible beneath a layer of rotted leaves. Scully’s heels sank into the mud with every step. “I should have brought flats,” she grumbled.

“How much farther is it...this place you wanted us to see?” Skinner reached out to steady Scully’s arm.

“Only a little. There’s no road leading in here. Technically we’re on government land right now, a national park, but it has been closed off to the public for several years. The house is another quarter mile down the road,” Lelon explained.

“It’s barely above freezing, the wind chill is high and we’re out doing a nature walk…why?” Krycek glared at the back of Lelon’s head.

“You’ll see,” Lelon replied.

“Huh. They’re even starting to sound alike,” Krycek remarked, looking back at Mulder.

The forest got heavier and darker, as heavily laden evergreens started to mix with the deciduous trees. Then the forest opened abruptly, and Skinner and Scully stepped out into the sunlight.

Squinting against the glare, Skinner surveyed the panorama that spread out before them.

Scully’s eyes opened in wonder. “Oh,” she said. “Oh, Mulder. Look.”

Mulder stepped beside her. He gave a low whistle. “Pretty impressive. Bet someone could make a calendar out of it.”

A slightly hollowed cliff rose up thirty feet above their heads. Over the edge of it poured a violent stream of water, hurling itself from the lip of the bluff and crashing down into the deep blue pool below. Jagged icicles hung from jutting rocks and the branches of shrubs growing out of the brown-black stone. Some of the icicles along the rim were almost three feet long.

Sunlight slid through the icicles and refracted away, sending odd patterns of light playing across the rock face.

They made their way down to the edge of the pool, where the sound was so loud as to make conversation difficult. The pool was a deep, milky blue. A large, flat rock stood at the end of the pool, nearly submerged in the high winter water.

“Good swimming here in the summer,” Skinner predicted in a loud voice, with a grin at Krycek.

“Skinny dipping,” Krycek mouthed, with a sparkle of unabashed delight in his eye.

“Good fishing, too.” Skinner pointed to the pool’s overflow, which poured into a wide, flat river.

“The channel narrows further down,” Lelon told them, his quiet voice somehow carrying past the rush of the water. “Not dangerous, but a good introduction to navigating more turbulent waters. The children must be taught survival skills.”

“Why will they need them?” Scully demanded.

“It is always wise to be prepared,” Lelon told her gravely. “So many things could go wrong. We must assume that world they will grow up in will be a potentially hostile place. You must do whatever it takes to make certain that the children will survive.”

Scully’s worried face resolved into hard, determined lines. She took up a position beside Krycek.

Krycek looked down at her. What he saw in her face made his own expression soften. Cautiously, he reached down and took her hand.

Scully started, but she didn’t pull away.

After a long moment of decision, Krycek raised her hand and placed it on his belly. Scully leaned into him and wrapped both arms around his waist. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

Krycek patted her awkwardly and threw a mute glance of appeal at Skinner, who ruffled his lover’s hair and laid an arm across his shoulders.

Mulder flanked Scully on her other side. When she looked over at him, he lifted his coat aside and patted his Sig. He reached up to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Unnoticed, Lelon stared up into the falling water, and smiled.

“So…what do you think, Alex?” Reclining against the headboard of the bed they shared, Skinner closed the book that he had been reading and watched his lover.

“It’ll do. Assuming that Trafalger can get the place fully covered with a decent security system. The gym’s a nice perk. I’ll need to do something to keep in shape now that they don’t have me running errands and living on the streets any more,” Krycek said, his tone deliberately flip. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, then disappeared into the bathroom.

Skinner ran his finger along the book’s cover, wondering if he should push Krycek into talking about what was bothering him. Earlier in the evening, Krycek had been a model of Christmas cheer. He had sung carols, popped popcorn and strung it on a thread, and opened what Scully had told him was the traditional “night before” gift, a pair of orthotic slippers and a warm, fuzzy robe.

Once everyone had retired to their separate rooms, however, Krycek had turned as nervous as a cat. Pacing in and out of the room, fiddling with the tree and the Christmas lights, checking that all the curtains in the house had been drawn. He had gone through two ice cream bars and a cup of hot chocolate.

It was something different from his usual episodes of paranoia. Silent, and somehow withdrawn. Something was seriously bothering him.

Skinner sat in silent contemplation as Krycek brushed his teeth, took a piss and climbed into the shower. When he finally re-emerged from the bathroom, he was fully dressed.

“Alex…you’re not going anywhere tonight…”

Krycek sat on the bed, his posture tense. “There’s something you need to hear.”

Skinner’s heart began to race. “Alex, listen…”

“No. Just let me talk. I need to get this out. I’ve…we’ve been fucking for…what…over a year now. you know what I like…what I need…and you give it to me. Even when it isn’t what you want.”

“I want you, Alex,” Skinner told him quietly. “That’s all.”

“You deserve more,” Krycek said curtly. “But it’s not going to happen. I’ve accepted that. Even if you weren’t such a fucking hardheaded loyal bastard…” his head fell back, and his eyes closed “…I wouldn’t be able to let you go. You’re stuck with me.” His hand lifted, then fell back into his lap. “I guess I got infected by Scully’s freaking Christmas spirit or something. I’ve got a Christmas present for you. Wrapped it myself. I thought it would be better if I let you unwrap it now.”

“Okay,” Skinner agreed, mystified. _At least he doesn’t have running off on his mind_ …

Krycek opened his eyes and turned his head, meeting Skinner’s gaze directly. “Make love to me, Walter.” His voice was husky.

Skinner laid the book down on the side table. “Is this what you want, Alex? You’re not just doing it to make my happy?”

“It’s what I want. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I just…”

“I know.” Skinner leaned forward and hooked Krycek under the arms, dragging the other man’s unresisting body down onto the bed beside him. “Is this going to make us lovers, Alex?”

“I guess. Yeah. Are you gonna make me say it?” Alex asked warily.

“Only if you want to. We’re guys, Alex.”

“Huh. Mostly,” Alex said wryly. He let himself be pulled against Walter’s body. “I meant it, Walt. If I let this happen, if I let myself need you, believe in you…there’s no going back. If something happens to you…I’ll stay alive long enough to give the kids to Scully, and then I’m done. I’ll take out that smoking bastard or anyone else involved with…whatever happened to you, but don’t expect more of me than that.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Alex. I won’t take chances. I promise,” Walter told him tenderly. “Do I get to open my present now?”

“It’s all yours, Walter. However you want it. Enjoy it while you can,” Alex gave an enticing wiggle. “It’ll start getting gross in a few months.”

“I won’t even notice,” Skinner promised. He began unbuttoning Alex’s shirt, kissing him as each new expanse of skin was revealed. “I’m looking forward to the summer. You’ll be back to your fit, athletic self by then, and we’ll have acres of land to explore. Trafalger is going to have you and Scully ‘hired’ as park rangers, just so there won’t be any problems with trespassing.”

“Just a lot of really offended bears. I always wanted to try skinny dipping. And…can we do it under the moon? On that rock? Listening to the waterfall…”

“Anything you want, Alex.” Skinner reached over and turned out the light.

“Anything?”

“Anything. I haven’t given you a ‘night before’ gift yet, by the way.”

“Good.” There was a rustle, and a soft bump. “In that case, I’m going to get a popsicle. Guess what I’m going to do with it before I eat it?”

“You’re not serious. Alex? Alex?!”

The door closed quietly…


End file.
